Method of and apparatus for making ball doughnuts



Feb. 9, 1943.

L. E. RUSSELL METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING BALL DOUGHNUTS Filed Oct. 4, 1941 INVENTOR Lew/s E. Russ/ELL ATTORNEYS BY M Patented Feb. 9, 1943 UNHTE ST'EES Lewis E. Russell, Catonsville, Md, assignor to Doughnut Corporation of America, New York,

N. Y., a corporation of New York Application ()ctober 4, .1941, Serial No. 413,575

Claims.

My invention relates generally to a food product and in particular to the pastry or cake product commonly referred to as a doughnut, or similar article. The usual type of doughnut comprises an annular ring having an appreciably-sized circular opening in the center thereof, but it has been attempted in the past to make doughnuts of other shapes, as for instance the polygonally-shaped product described in the Bleier Patent No. 1,621,454, dated March 15, 1927; the crescent-shaped product described in Bergner Patent No. 1,839,180, dated December 29, 1931; and the elongated stick product of the Hunter Patent No. 1,814,830, dated July 14, 1931. The present invention is directed towards the formation of a doughnut or pastry product having a form which is different from all of these, and the main objects of this invention are the provision of such different product and the method and machinery for making the same.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a doughnut having a substantially spherical shape, and the method of forming same.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a spherical or ball doughnut which is of substantially uniform texture throughout.

Still another object of my invention is the provision of a method of forming a spherical or ball doughnut from the same material as is used in the manufacture of the conventional ring doughnut.

Still another object of my invention is the provision of a method for making a spherical Attempts have been made in the past to produce spherically-shaped or ball doughnuts. These attempts have consisted mainly of changes in the formula of the mix, variations in the frying temperatures, and provision of machines to form a ball product and deposit same in the frying vat. It has even been attempted to make ball doughnuts by hand, but commercially these attempts have all been uniformly unsuccessful because a consistently satisfactory product could not be obtained.

Conventional doughnut making machines usually comprise a hopper or receptacle into which the doughnut mix, i. e., the mixed ingredients, is deposited. The mix is fed, either by gravity or air pressure into an elongated, narrow cylindrical chamber, having a circular forming disc disposed below and spaced from the open end of the cylinder passing therearound and over in a ring-like mass. An encircling cutter sleeve axially reciprocates in a straight line across the opening between the cylinder and the forming disc, resulting in a shearing ofiof the material extruded from the opening. The annular dough ring formation (see Fig. 4 of the annexed drawing) is then dropped into hot cooking liquor and fried for a suificient length of time, on both sides thereof, until completed. This type of construction and method of operation are well known in the art (see the U. S. Patent to Hunter No. 2,067,849), and needs no further discussion or illustration. In my method, while I employ the same basic type of apparatus; the same type of mixture of ingredients; and subject or ball doughnut on substantially the same type the product to the same frying or heating treatmachinery as is conventionally used in the forment, I am enabled to achieve a ball or holemation of ordinary annular doughnuts. less doughnut, a substantially spherical or ball Still another object of my invention is the product of uniform texture throughout, because provision of apparatus for forming spherical or of my new method and apparatus. ball doughnuts. In the drawing annexed hereto, forming a Still another object of my invention is the part hereof: provision of an apparatus to form ring dough- Figure 1 is an elevational schematic View of nuts in such fashion as to cause the rings to one form of apparatus constructed according to assume spherical or ball shape during the frying and embodying my invention; or heat treating step in the process. 5 Fig. 2 is a slightly enlarged elevational View Still another object of my invention is the of a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1; provision of a method of forming a spherical or Fig. 3 is a perspective view of my new ball ball doughnut which comprises the formation of doughnut product as formed by the apparatus an annular ring doughnut and subsequently and in accordance with the method of my inchanging the ring to ball shape. vention; and

In addition to the above, further objects of Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the conventional my invention will be obvious, and still others will ring doughnut. be pointed out specifically in connection with In the drawing, reference numeral I E! indicates the following description of an illustrative emthe dough hopper into which the mixed ingredibocliment. ents are deposited. At the bottom of hopper H3,

there is secured an elongated cylindrical discharge neck 12 in communication with hopper Ill. A cutter disc I4 is mounted on a rod or axial stem l6 centrally secured inside neck l2, so that disc I4 is spaced from and below the lower edge l8 of the discharge neck I2, A cylindrical cutter sleeve is mounted over and in concentric relation to the discharge neck I2, in close sliding relationship thereto, In conventional constructions, means are provided to vertically reciprocate cutter sleeve 28 along discharge neck l2 with respect to the opening between disc I4 and edge 18, so as to shear oif portions of the dough extruded from the discharge neck between the edge of the forming disc I4 and the sharpened lower edge 22 of the cutter sleeve 28. As an example of this type of construction, see U. S. Patent No. 2,067,849 to H. T. Hunter, and specifically Figs. I, VI and VII thereof.

When sleeve 20 is raised into the dotted line position of Fig. 1 by means of the cutter lever 30, which has a pin 32 extending outwardly therefrom engaging an annular groove or track 3 formed around sleeve 29, the annular opening between the lower edge of neck l2 and the edge of the fixed cutter disc I4 is uncovered, and it is through this annular opening at the bottom of discharge neck i2 that the dough flows or is forced, as by suction or pressure. As cutter sleeve 29 is moved axially downwardly into the full line I positions of Figs. 1 and 2, the annular dough formation extruded through the opening is severed, and permitted to drop into the conventional frying vat which is normally disposed below and in vertical alignment with the discharge neck 12.

Lever 3B, centrally mounted for pivotal movement as at 38, is connected at one end to cutter sleeve 23, and at its opposite end to a vertical drop link 38. The other end 39 of said vertical drop link 38 is connected to a cam lever 5i; Cam lever 40 is also centrally fulcrumed, as at 42, and at its free end 44, lever 40 is provided with a suitable roller :6 engaged with a face track or groove 48 formed on a rotary cam 59. Thus, as cam 50 is motor rotated via M, it will, because of the course of the groove 48, and through cam lever 40, drop link 38 and cutter lever 30, cause the cutter sleeve 20 to reciprocate vertically along discharge neck 12, forming ring shaped products 52 as above outlined.

As will be seen in Fig. l, groove 43 follows a circular path for about 270, and dips inwardly for about one-half of the remaining 90 portion and rides upwardly for the remainder until it returns to the circular path again. cam 50 is rotated by a suitable motor through a speed reducing apparatus, as M, roller 45 held captive within trackway groove 43, will move upwardly and pivoting about point 42, will cause a downward shifting of link 33 and a raising of sleeve 2!].

As the ring shaped products so formed are successively dropped into the frying vat, they are fried first on one side, and after a predetermined time interval, they are automatically turned over and fried on the other side until they are completed. During these frying operations, the object does not lose its character as a ring. Its size may change somewhat, that is, the ring may puff or swell to some extent, but its character as a ring with a definite hole therein will not change appreciably.

I have found it possible, with substantially the same machine, the same mix and the same sequence of steps, to cause the ring to change its Thus, as

shape and become a substantially spherical, holeless object, as illustrated in Fig. 3.

The fixed linear distance between the cutter disc [4 and the end of the discharge neck l2 may be, for example, about five-eighths of an inch. Cutter sleeve 20 must be reciprocated across this distance to permit the dough to pass through the uncovered opening on the up or opening stroke, and to shear the same on the down or shearing stroke. I have found that by rotating the cutter sleeve during the down or shearing stroke, I can thereby make ball or spherical doughnuts. Preferably, in my method, the cutter sleeve should be rotated through 360 degrees on the down or cutting stroke only, In normal operation, the cutter cam may be motor-rotated about eight times a minute; that is, there are eight complete reciprocations of the cutter sleeve each minute, and there are eight doughnut rings out each minute. The time consumed, therefore, in the formation of each individual doughnut will be approximately seven and five-eighth (7%) seconds. Groove 48 is so proportioned that cam lever 40 will be shifted for about 90 degrees of (or a quarter of) each cycle and dwell for the remaining 270 degrees thereof. The actual movement of cutter cam lever 49- is one-fourth of 7% seconds or about 1 seconds, and it is during this time interval that the cutter sleeve is opened and closed and the doughnut ring out. It is also during this 1 seconds that the cutter sleeve 26 is rotated.

For purposes of illustration, but not limitation, I provide a relatively wide pinion gear around sleeve 20, and in mesh therewith, I mount a spur gear 62 which is narrower than pinion gear 69. Spur gear 62 is supported in engagement with gear 60 by one end of vertical shaft 64, and at the other end of shaft 64, I mount a gear 66 and in mesh therewith a driving or spur gear 68. Spur gear 68 is connected, via a shaft 10, bevelled or mitre gears 72, M and shaft 16 with speed reducer M, which may function, motor driven, through connection to appropriate clutching means, in addition to rotating cam 50, and cutter cam lever 40, etc., to rotate shaft 16 during the degree portion of the cam cycle in order to impart rotational movement to cutter sleeve 20 during the shearing stroke. This shaft and gear assembly (as shown in Figs. 1 and 2), is but one way by which I can impart rotational movement to cutter sleeve 20 during the down movement of the cutter sleeve.

If desired, independent means may be employed to vertically reciprocate the cutter sleeve and rotate same. However, if a single mechanism is employed, via M, herein described, intermittent action to rotate cutter sleeve l2 preferably during the shearing stroke may be secured through the train of gears or through the speed reducer which becomes effective only during the down stroke to rotate the sleeve.

Pinion gear 60 is made sufficiently wide so as to remain in mesh with spur gear 62 while cutter sleeve 28 is reciprocated. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, spur gear 62 engages gear 60 near the top thereof, while cutter sleeve 20 is in the down position, and will engage gear 60 near the bottom thereof in the up position.

With cutter sleeve 20 rotated during the shearing stroke with respect to the discharge neck l2, the same annular ring formations are formed, as 52, and dropped into the frying vat. However. due in some manner to this rotational movement of the cutter sleeve during the down portion of the shearing stroke, the ring, during frying, flows together inwardly, the central opening 55 closes over and practically disappears, and the ring puffs up and becomes sphere-like, as illustrated at 54, Fig. 3. Apparently, the circular shearing movement tears the surface of the ring and disrupting the grain or structure of the doughnut mix, causes it to flow together inwardly. The ring formations are sheared ofi against cutter disc Id at the inner margins of the rings, and that is apparently why the rings flow inwardly and ball up at that point, rather than flow outwardly.

It will thus be seen that the only addition needed to a conventional doughnut machine in order to adapt same to the manufacture of ball doughnuts is the provision of means for causing rotation of the cutter sleeve with respect to the discharge neck during the shearing stroke. The degree of rotation is important. If the cutter sleeve is rotated substantially less than 360 degrees, there is not obtained sufificient balling up to close the central aperture 55 during the frying step. With a full 360 degree range of relative rotation, the hole 55 practically disappears (see Fig. 3) and the ring becomes almost completely spherical.

As the ring formation is dropped into the hot frying liquor, it starts to ball up almost imme diately on the top thereof, which extends up out of the hot liquor, and the balling continues until the central opening is substantially completely closed. The time interval so consumed will represent about one-half of the time needed to completely fry the doughnut. The doughnut is then turned over and fried on the other side thereof for an equivalent of the time. The balling will continue to some extent on this other side, at least so as to substantially close the hole. The fact that the balling up is not an instantaneous process affords sufficient time so that the completed article will be thoroughly fried throughout.

Having now described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for forming ball doughnuts comprising a dough hopper, an outlet therefrom, means to feed dough from the hopper through the outlet, said outlet having an annular opening at the bottom thereof, means to shear annular dough formations off at the bottom of the outlet, and means to rotate the shearing means through at least substantially 360 degrees during the shearing operation.

2. Apparatus for formin ball doughnuts comprising a dough hopper, an outlet therefrom, means to feed dough from the hopper through the outlet, said outlet having an annular opening at the bottom thereof, means to shear off annular dough formations at the bottom of the outlet, said means comprising a sleeve encircling the outlet, and means to rotate the sleeve through at least substantially 360 degrees during the shearing operation.

3. Apparatus for forming ball doughnuts comprising a dough hopper, an elongated outlet therefrom, means to feed dough from the hopper through the outlet, a cutter disc spaced from and below the bottom of the outlet defining an annular opening, a cutter sleeve encircling said outlet, means to vertically reciprocate the cutter sleeve across the annular opening, and means to rotate the cutter sleeve through at least substantially 360 degrees during the downward stroke of the cutter sleeve.

4. Apparatus as in claim 3, in which cutter sleeve is provided with an encircling pinion gear, and a spur gear is provided in mesh with the pinion gear, the vertically reciprocating means maintaining the spur and pinion gears in mesh during up and down movement of the cutter sleeve, and the spur gear rotating the cutter sleeve through at least substantially 360 degrees at least during .the down stroke of the cutter sleeve.

5. The method of forming ball doughnuts which comprises extruding a ring-like mass of dough, axially shearing annular ring formations from said mass, disrupting the surface of the ring formations during the shearing operation by a 360 degree rotation of the shearing means during the shearing operation, and thereafter heat treating the disrupted ring formations to form the ball doughnuts.

LEWIS E. RUSSELL. 

